Cepheus
by Acteon Carolsfeld
Summary: Everyone seems to think Seekers are naturally maternal creatures. Apparently, "everyone" has never met Starscream. Slight AU. Warnings: Slash; implied sticky; mpreg; questionable parenting. [DROPPED]
1. Birth

**IMPORTANT: **Just in case of any misunderstanding, this story is _**not**_ compatible with "Insatiable" verse. This story is a separate entity altogether.

Disclaimer: I do not own the obvious things that I do not own.

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><p><span>Cepheus<span>

Upon reflection, Megatron really did not know what had happened that diverted his original objective to such a gargantuan degree. He was certain the change had occurred somewhere between punching Starscream in the faceplate and fragging Starscream into the wall, but, by his spark, he honestly could not figure out where he had gone wrong.

Perhaps "wrong" was too harsh a word, he mused, looking at the tiny sparkling he held in his hands. The sparkling, _his_ sparkling, stared back, optics large and wide. The expression on his round little faceplate was so innocent and downright cute that Megatron found it difficult to believe that he was indeed the fragile little thing's sire. However, there was no mistake. He could feel the small, constant fluctuations through their creator-sparkling bond. Besides, if this sparkling was not his, he doubted the med bay would be filled with such precious, peaceful silence. After all, he had been helpfully informed numerous times that he was hideous enough to make even a grown mech cry by the very Seeker currently lying on the medical berth, exhausted from the sparking.

Starscream had yet made any indication that he wanted to see the sparkling, rapidly cycling air to cool his overheated system. He was sprawled out on the berth rather inelegantly, a rare sight for one who always put great effort in looking poised and attractive at all times. Megatron pondered over whether or not he should clean the sparkling before presenting him to the recovering Seeker. In the end, he decided to brush the thought away.

This was their sparkling. Surely Starscream would not mind.

"Is it alive?" Starscream squirmed on the berth, and gingerly picked himself up into a sitting position despite Hook's various protests. The tri-coloured air commander wore a grimace on his faceplate, and Megatron could not tell if the glint in his narrowed optics was concern or hope.

"Yes," Megatron answered, and held the now wiggling sparkling closer toward his mate. "Do you want to hold him?"

Starscream took one look at the tiny thing, and immediately balked, scrunching his nose bridge in a revolted sneer. He made a strangled sound of disgust, and cringed when Megatron tried to place the sparkling onto his cockpit.

"Ugh, for Primus's sakes, wash it first!" Peevishly batting at Megatron's hands and their chirping cargo, the Seeker scooted to the other side of the berth. "I'm not touching anything that's covered in slime!" He announced loudly, voice regaining its shrill timber. Megatron bit back a wince at the sharp pitch, and quelled down a wave of irritation at being ordered around like a service drone. He walked toward the tub specifically built for their sparkling on the far side of the med bay, and proceeded to carefully wash the little thing with the gentlest cleansers. The little thing squealed happily under his administrations, and the tiny nubs on his back flicked rapidly up and down. A Seekerlet, Megatron observed, and discreetly allowed a pleased smile to appear on his lips.

Hopefully he would grow up to be every bit as beautiful as his carrier-creator.

"Are you done yet? I want to see if it meets my standards!" Starscream called out snappishly from his berth, impatience apparent in every word. Megatron suppressed a sigh, and picked up the sparkling. He dabbed away the lingering cleanser on the small Seekerling's plating with a soft cloth, and dutifully brought the wiggling bundle to the waiting Seeker for inspection.

Starscream grabbed the sparkling as soon as he was within reaching range, and began flipping him backward and sideways, scrutinizing every detail of his little frame. The Seekerlet hardly found the gesture comfortable, and began to let out pained little whimpers when his carrier clutched him too hard. Unfortunately, Starscream barely noticed, too engrossed in his thorough examination. Megatron frowned when their creation let out a miserable whine, and turned to look at him pleadingly for help. The Decepticon lord was not certain if what his second-in-command was doing could be considered as abuse, so he only watched, lips pressed together in a downward arch.

Pinching the small wing nubs on the sparkling's back, Starscream let out a quiet hum of satisfaction, and turned the tiny thing over to study his faceplate. Megatron immediately tensed, and felt a sensation he was definitely not used to experiencing prickle over his back-strut. Nervousness, his processors gladly informed him, and he told his processors to shut up. He was only bracing for the dramatic storm of epic proportions that was now surely kliks from happening, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared.

Starscream took one look at their sparkling's faceplate, and a loud, horrified gasp hitched through his intakes. His optics widened into saucers, and his white wings instantly shot up, perpendicular to his back.

"It's _defective_!" A piercing, loud scream rang inside the med bay, and both Megatron and Hook flinched as the sound stabbed into their audials.

"What are you talking about?" Megatron asked, feigning obliviousness in hopes that somehow, miraculously, the gesture would make Starscream forget about how—

"One of its optics is dimmer than the other one!"

…Yeah, that.

"That's not a defect," Megatron explained, wrapping both arms behind his back. "It will correct itself in time." At Starscream's disbelieving glare, he sighed, and decided to bite the bullet: "I also had uneven brightness when I was a sparkling. It went away naturally after my first vorn."

Starscream's expression grew even more hostile and hateful. He bared his dentae in a sneer Megatron knew only too well, and trembled with flaring rage.

"I _knew_ it!" He bit out, voice climbing an impressive octave. "_Every_thing problematic comes from _you_!" He shrieked, and his wings jerked angrily on his back. Finally fed up with his second's behaviour, Megatron scowled, and felt his spark swell in rising ire. However, before he could defend his genetic coding with a response, a loud wail erupted from the sparkling clenched between sky-blue fingers.

"Argh—!" Starscream jolted, and instantly held the bawling Seekerlet at full arm's length, faceplate turning the other way. "D-Do something!" He gaped at the coolant-stained faceplate of his creation, and wore an expression made up of an impressive amount of different emotions, predominantly fright and aversion.

Megatron stared at the spectacle for a lengthy moment, wondering what he had done to deserve such a family unit. Sighing for the umpteenth time over the past joor, he plucked the crying sparkling from Starscream's hands, and gently rubbed the upset little thing between his shivering wing nubs. The Seekerling instantly quieted down, and nuzzled closer toward the chassis he was pressed against. He grasped onto the coarse plating of his sire-creator as though afraid to be parted from the safe haven, and sniffled, making tiny, fearful whimpers.

"What in the pits is the matter with it?" Starscream curled his lips, and crossed his arms over his cockpit. "Is there another defect you should be telling me about?" His optics narrowed, and he glared suspiciously at his spark-mate.

"Stop referring to our sparkling as 'it'." Megatron mumbled, still preoccupied with their Seekerlet. He did not notice the indignation rolling off from Starscream until a curt, sharp cough took his attention away, and he was a little surprised to find jealousy abundant on the tri-coloured Seeker's faceplate.

Unsure of how to interpret such an observation, Megatron decided to answer his second's questions. "Sparklings are extremely sensitive to outside stimuli, especially during the first few cycles since birth," He explained, reciting what he had read. "Your volume must have frightened him."

Starscream's optics narrowed further, and he made a scoffing huff through his vents. "Since when did _you_ become such an expert on _sparklings_, O fearsome and mighty leader?" He drawled in a dry, snide tone, and his arms crossed tighter over his canopy.

Megatron gave him a flat stare, and chose to not rise to the bait.

"Did you not read the data-pads Hook had given us?" He asked instead, brushing his fingers over the sparkling's wing nubs.

Starscream's grimace became even more pronounced.

"Unlike some, _I_ happen to have much more important matters to tend to than partaking in casual reading." The Seeker hissed out, voice snappish and words clipped. "_Someone_ has to run the faction, after all." He added pointedly, and gave his spark-mate a rather expectant look.

"How fortunate it is that we have you, then," Megatron merely replied amiably, and returned to being distracted by the now happily squirming bundle in his hands. The sparkling squealed and giggled when gently poked on his sides, and the formidable leader of the Decepticons suddenly felt the ridiculous urge to smile. He attempted to hold it back, but was only half successful. One corner of his lips tilted upward, and he chuckled, giving the tiny Seekerlet a few more pokes. He was so submerged in his interactions with his little creation that he did not notice the looks he was getting from his second and medic at all.

"…This is so absurd it's terrifying." Starscream commented, cringing at the overly mushy sight of his spark-mate, a miner turned gladiator turned evil overlord of the universe, playing with a suddenly hyperactive sparkling. Hook simply shrugged by his side, and began the task of disconnecting the cables still plugged into his medical ports.

"That's what parental protocol does to a mech, Commander." The medic replied airily, not at all concerned about the death glare he was currently receiving from his patient. "You'll be acting like that too in no time."

Starscream made a face, and shuddered in disgust. "When Unicron's pits freeze over," He gritted out, and determinedly turned his helm away from the nauseating sight of his leader and the sparkling. However, despite his best efforts, his optics stubbornly stayed, unable to move away.

He huffed irately, and pressed his lips tightly together.

He was just making sure Megatron did not end up crushing the thing with his monstrously large hands. That was all.

…

…That was all.

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><p><strong>Notes:<strong> Believe it or not, this story is actually based on a dream. I was so entertained by it that I got up from my bed in the middle of the night, and jotted the idea down just so I won't forget about it by morning.

So, what do you think? :))

I found it interesting that, by popular consensus, Seekers are usually portrayed as being naturally fond of sparklings and are therefore good caretakers. If anyone is awkward with Cybertronian young, it'd be Megatron, who feels the need to preserve his reputation as the Decepticon tyrant. I thought it'd be fun to explore a different scenario where it's the exact opposite, and see where it goes from there.

…Or perhaps I just wanted to write Starscream being a complete, hopeless failure as a creator. XD

I have a few ideas to this story, and hope to finish it before it turns into a gigantic mammoth. I have a really hard time keeping things short, so this story is, in a way, experimental to see if I can write smaller-scaled stories. "Insatiable" is still going to be my main work, which means this story, not pre-written like my other one, won't be updated as often. Sorry about that!

However, I will try my best to work on new chapters quickly. This story is a refreshing break from the somewhat more serious tone of "Insatiable".

Ahh, what else should I specify…Oh yes, if you haven't already guessed, Cepheus is the name of Starscream and Megatron's sparkling. I'm not very good at coming up with legitimate Transformers names that doesn't sound like background OCs, so I cheated by googling anything that had to do with stars, and came across the constellation Cepheus. It apparently is "the king", which I found appropriate, so I snatched it.

Now, a few announcements:

**Facebook!**

I very recently made an account on facebook for, well, my account here. XD I would love to keep better contact with you, and facebook seems like a good way to do that. Please add me by "Acteon Carolsfeld". This way, I'll get to forewarn you about updates if anything…I suppose, haha!

_Riley:_ I'm not sure if you'll see this, but I've received your review on the latest chapter of "Insatiable", and I just wanted to give you my biggest thanks for your continuous support and lovely comments. I'm utterly ecstatic every time I read your reviews, and I love how in-depth they are. I appreciate them greatly. You should definitely register for an account on FF and post your stories if you feel the inclination to. It'd definitely make contacting you easier ;))

Anyways, I think this ending note is more than long enough. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the start of this story.

Please leave me a review if you can! I'd love to hear what you think.


	2. Cry I

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Transformers.

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><p><span>Cry<span>

(I)

A loud, shrilly pitched wail rang like a siren from the adjacent room, and Starscream was sure he was going to melt the wall from how furiously he was glaring holes into it at the moment. The wail eventually fell in volume, but it quickly rose again with renewed vigor, followed by the rattling noises of a barred door being violently shaken. Starscream's fingers curled into his palms, and he clenched his fists so hard that his plating hurt. However, none of such actions assuaged his fermenting rage, which was why it was no surprise that, when the wailing returned, he immediately reacted in the only manner appropriate for such situation.

He sprung up into a sitting position on the berth, and screamed louder than any vocalizer had the right to be:

"_Shut up!_"

He was _not_ about to let some freshly sparked scraplet outdo him in a screaming match.

For a moment, the wailing actually stopped, as did the rattling. Satisfied, Starscream let out a pleased hum, and was just about to lie back down when the wailing returned with a vengeance, even louder than before.

"-Aaaaargh!" The tri-coloured Seeker punched the berth, and seethed in the dark chamber, a brow-ridge jerking in increasing irritation. He sent out a harsh blast of air through his vents, and turned snappishly toward the door leading into the adjacent room. His optics narrowed, and a truly dangerous expression befell his features.

"…Oh, it's _on_!" He hissed out, voice gritty with spiteful menace, and prepared to unleash the full volume power of his extraordinarily screechy vocalizer. Fortunately for all those situated on the Nemesis, he did not get the chance to do so. It was nothing short of a miracle from Primus that all other Decepticons stationed on Earth was blessed with uninterrupted recharge, unaware of the drama that was currently unfolding in their Commanders' shared quarters.

Starscream opened his mouth, and was half a klik from letting out the most piercing and incredible shriek any audial would ever have the misfortune of knowing when a large hand abruptly clamped over the downer half of his faceplate, effectively silencing him. He screeched anyways, and thrashed violently when a strong arm snaked around his waist, keeping him pinned to a broad, hard chassis.

"Starscream," The low, somewhat groggy voice of his bondmate reached his audials, murmuring by the side of his helm, "I would prefer my auditory receptors to remain in tact by morning, and I would appreciate your cooperation in keeping them that way."

Starscream paused in his thrashing to huff, and crossed his arms over his rounded canopy. After a few kliks of no movement from the Seeker, the exhausted tyrant of the universe let out a sigh, and unraveled his arms.

"You know screaming back is only going to agitate him further." Megatron rubbed his optics tiredly, and sent the still fuming Seeker a sideways glance. "I still don't see why we can't place his crib in our room."

"The problem is not the location of the crib, you imbecile!" Starscream spat out, scrunching his nose-bridge in a strange combination of anger and superiority. "It obviously wants to recharge with us."

"Then why can't he recharge with us?"

"Because this is _our_ room!" Starscream shouted indignantly, optics flashing in the dark. "_That_ is _its_ room." He pointed at the said room as though it personally offended him, and curled his lips in a grimace.

Megatron looked at his frazzled second-in-command, then at the room, and back to his second-in-command again. Releasing another sigh, he pinched between his optics, and reluctantly got up from the comfort of his berth. Starscream watched his sluggish movements with a confused frown, optics tailing his awkward scooting toward the edge of the berth. When it became clear that the ex-gladiator was heading toward the sparkling's room, the Seeker instantly bristled, lips falling apart with protests armed on the tip of his glossa.

"Where in the pits are you going!" He yelled, sitting up higher on the berth, "It's never going to learn if you keep indulging its every demand, Megatron!"

Megatron paused for a moment in front of the opened door, and actually contemplated his second's advice. He abruptly shook his helm when he noticed what he was doing, and gave his faceplate a lengthy rub with a hand. He must have been extremely tired to take his easily excitable bondmate seriously without a second thought. He tilted his helm back a slight degree, and cast the Seeker a glance. Raising his other hand, he lazily waved toward the room, and spoke in a low, muttering voice:

"Would you rather have him scream all night cycle?"

When Starscream pursed his lips in obvious displeasure, the Decepticon Commander heaved his third sigh in the past five breems.

"Cepheus is still young. His vocal components are delicate." The Autobots would probably suffer a glitch if they knew how patient Megatron could be when he was too sleepy to bother. "He might damage them if we simply leave him to his wailing." He explained, and turned to stride into the sparkling's room. The wailing immediately quieted to needy whimpers, and the rattling stopped. A low, deep murmur responded to the whining, and a few soft chirps sounded in reply. Starscream glared hotly at the empty doorway, lips pressed tightly together and optics icy with frustration.

Why was Megatron so lenient toward the whims of a tiny, insignificant, but most importantly _useless_ pile of scrap-metal? If there was anything that Starscream wanted his sparkling to learn since early age, it was that worth did not come freely, and that it must be meticulously earned.

Megatron was spoiling Cepheus, and it would undoubtedly leave lasting consequences.

With a curt huff, Starscream plopped down on the berth, and promptly offlined his optics. Megatron might have chosen to give up the last few joors of his recharge to placate their sparkling, but that did not mean he had to do the same. The Seeker wiggled on the berth, and eventually found a comfortable position. He sighed contently in the wondrous silence, and waited for recharge to claim his processors.

The last thing he remembered was the light brushing of his fingers against his neck cables, under which his vocalizer hid. His spark gave an answering throb to the gesture, and he forcefully pushed the sensation aside.

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><p>Cepheus started looking around as soon as he was dropped onto the first flat surface his carrier could find. His wide, red optics, one brighter than the other, took in the sight of the room in great wonder. He cooed softly, and wondered what all the shiny screens were currently displaying. He could not read the complicated strokes of Seeker cant. He would not have understood their contents even if he could. However, he recognized them for what they were, perhaps prompted by the coding of his half-Seeker heritage.<p>

The colours, the light, the fancy calligraphy – they were beautiful, and they captivated him more thoroughly than even the rapid flicks of wing movements his carrier had a habit of doing in succession.

Speaking of that…He glanced behind him at his tiny wing nubs, and tried to imitate the motion. His wing nubs jerked minutely, but they were nowhere as sophisticated as his creator's wing dance.

As though summoned by way of creator telepathy, his carrier strode up to him, and spoke to him in that sharp, thin, agitated voice that was always slightly audial-grating. Cepheus did not understand why, but his creator always scrunched up his nose bridge and pulled back his lips whenever he spoke to him. Wondering if it was what one did when facing a loved one, the sparkling quickly copied the expression, and ended up with a frighteningly accurate imitation of what the Decepticons have all dubbed as the "Starscream sneer".

Cepheus did not know what had happened, but his carrier suddenly froze, and the nose-bridge-scrunching was gone, replaced by widened optics and slack jaws. Wondering if this was what he was supposed to do next, the Seekerlet hastily copied his carrier, and watched in further confusion when his carrier immediately bristled, and started to yell.

Wh-What happened? What had he done? Cepheus flustered about, and his optics started to become wet when bewilderment morphed into anxiety. Why couldn't he do anything right? Why did his carrier always yell no matter how hard he tried to be good?

Why did his carrier's energy field always resonate with anger whenever he attempted to reach out in their bond?

The sparkling, infinitely hurt, started to whimper. Tears formed, and washed down his rounded cheek-plates in streams. He wrapped his stubby little arms around his tiny, fragile canopy, and curled into a ball, wing nubs shivering and pointed downward. Carrier was scary. He wished Sire were here. Sire always came to his rescue, and he never yelled.

Suddenly, a data pad was shoved right in front of his faceplate. Startled, he let out a loud hiccup, and fell back on his little aft. Rubbing at his wet optics, he cowered, and sent the data pad and his carrier uncertain glances. His carrier stared down at him, and made a huffy sound with his vents before dropping the pad down in front of him.

His carrier spoke in a voice quite unlike his previous tone, and gestured importantly. Attracted by the flourish, Cepheus gaped in wonder, and quirked his helm when his carrier seemed to have produced a thin, cylindrical object out of nowhere. His carrier proceeded to speak, and touched the thin, cylindrical object against the pad. To Cepheus's utter fascination, lines of colours started to appear on the data pad.

Chirping curiously, the sparkling eagerly grabbed onto the thin, cylindrical object, and started to make a jumbled mess of lines. He quickly realized that the different buttons along the side of the thin, cylindrical object changed the pigment that came out of its pointed tip, and began to happily construct a neat array of cascading colours across the data pad.

He was so engrossed in his task that he did not notice his carrier walking away at all. He simply lay on his abdominal plating, and drew and drew.

Before long, the surface of the data pad was filled to the brim. There was no more room for Cepheus to draw on, and, not knowing what to do, he sought for his carrier. He spotted the tri-coloured Seeker a little ways off, seated in front of a console and staring intently at its screen. He let out a small trill, hoping to gain his carrier's attention. He had no such luck, which did not improve no matter how loudly he called. Somewhat discouraged, he sat back on his little aft, and gazed dejectedly at the data pad.

As per usual with sparklings, his episode of sadness did not last long before he once again became distracted by the thin, cylindrical object in his hands. He was pressing random buttons when the thing suddenly beeped in his fingers, and left a thick streak of blue on the flat surface he was sitting on.

Chirping sharply in alarm, he immediately cast his carrier a fearful glance, optics circular and wide. To his great relief, his carrier remained unresponsive, now tapping away at the keys of the console. No longer worried about the threat of being reprimanded, the sparkling went back to study the thin, cylindrical object, and figured out, in no time, how to activate its paint function.

Now with a new weapon at his fingertips, Cepheus looked around for a nice flat, smooth surface, and instantly spotted the wall. Tweeting excitedly, he hopped off from the high table with confidence only a Seekerlet could have, and instinctually activated his hovering system to lessen the impact of landing on the floor. Still somewhat clumsy with his limbs, he skidded a little, but nothing could take his processors off from the wide, seemingly endless stretch of canvas for his thin, cylindrical object to draw on. Trilling in exclamation of great joy, he ran to the wall, and immediately set about to reproduce a pictorial rendition of his family unit.

He started with his sire, picking a nice, solid gray. Sire was fairly easy to depict in picture, being mostly blocky and angular. With some dashes of red and black, Sire was done, and Cepheus took a small step back to admire his handiwork, very pleased with how strong and tough his sire looked.

He then went about his way to draw himself, picking a slightly darker gray than the one he had used for his sire. He still had no paintjob, so his image self turned out to somewhat resemble a small smudge. He shrugged, not really bothered by the lack of colour. He could do better after he knew what he wanted on his plating.

Now, his carrier, that was going to be a challenge. Cepheus might have lacked the life experiences to know just how gorgeous his carrier truly was, but the appreciation for beauty was an inborn instinct. The sparkling knew he had a beautiful carrier-creator, so he took extra care to draw every curve of the tri-coloured Seeker's frame. He even turned around a few times to study his carrier, who was still seated and focused in his work. Having a direct reference worked wonders, and, by the time he was done, he was incredibly proud of the picture he had drawn, where a gray grounder and a small sparkling stood stiffly next to a fluidly painted Seeker with the most vividly coloured of optics. The Seeker wore a kind smile, and Cepheus cooed, his tiny, little spark strumming with increasing warmth.

Cepheus was halfway through drawing a made-up background for his family portrait when a shrill cry of anger cut through the peaceful atmosphere of the room. The sparkling instantly jumped, and dropped the thin, cylindrical object. He swirled around in fright, and stared up at the stormy expression of his carrier. His carrier had yet said a word, but even without speech, Cepheus knew he had done something very, very bad.

The Seekerlet was shocked rigid by the sudden shrill cry before he started to tremble in fear. Whimpering softly, he started to shakily back away, furling his limbs around himself as he pressed his tiny frame against the wall. His carrier began to speak, but his voice was neither sharp nor loud. It was quiet, coming out like a hiss, and it was much scarier to Cepheus than even when his carrier was screaming in high-pitched shrieks. The energy field surrounding the tri-coloured Seeker grew erratic, and the sparkling pressed himself harder against the unforgiving surface of the wall. His carrier's optics were narrowed, and his dentae were bared. There was something in the way he looked at Cepheus that made the sparkling utterly terrified.

Cepheus let out the tiniest of fearful whimpers when his carrier took a step forward. The hissed words grew more cutting and harsh in tone, and the Seekerling could only cower further, squatting down on his little peds. With his back pressed flush against the cold surface of the wall, he tentatively lifted his rounded faceplate, and peered up at his carrier. With nothing short of nervous trepidation, he hesitantly sent a small pulse through his bond to his carrier. At once, the hissing stopped, and the displeased Seeker stared back. However, just as quickly, his optics flashed in a steely glint, and the bond was abruptly and forcefully slammed shut to the imploring sparkling.

Cepheus was so shocked by the suddenness of the bond closure that he could only gape. Without warning, the comforting, warm presence of his carrier's spark was gone from the bond, which now echoed with a lonely, silent chill. It hurt worse than anything Cepheus has ever experienced in his life thus far, and the pain stung where he was most tender, unused as he was to be shunned by the one he was closest to.

Before long, the trembling returned to his wings, and rapidly spread through his entire frame. His cheek plates started to burn, and his vision became blurry. His lips began to quiver, and the pain grew worse. Coolant fell from his optics, and splattered onto his tiny canopy – an unsteady beat to the choked, hurt keen leaving his vocalizer.

Cepheus cried, and his carrier immediately started to yell.

Hugging his little chassis, the sparkling wailed, pushing at the barrier blocking his bond with his carrier. The barrier remained strong and unforgiving, not nudging in the slightest despite his desperate attempts at breaking through. Cepheus did not understand. He did not know why his carrier was so angry. He did not mean any harm. He was just doing what his carrier had wanted him to do. He pressed tighter against the wall, and his right wing nub rubbed against the portrait he had drawn of his family unit. The wet paint instantly smeared, and distorted the kind, loving smile on a beautiful Seeker's dark faceplate. It left behind only a smudge of muddy colours.

His carrier had begun to fume, wings jerking spastically and lips curled in an expression Cepheus now knew meant "not good". Through tear-filled optics, the sparkling looked up at the tri-coloured Seeker. He still did not know why his carrier was so mad, and, as though in response to his confusion, his carrier started to gesture agitatedly at the table.

At first, Cepheus did not understand what all the pointing meant. And then it hit him: this was why his carrier was so angry! His carrier was obviously displeased because he had jumped off the table, an action quite a dangerous feat now that he thought about it. He was a Seekerlet, but he was also half grounder. His weight was a little heavier than what his thrusters could comfortably support right now, which meant he could've really hurt himself. Now that he really looked, the table was quite high, looming over his tiny form. Why did he ever think jumping from it was a good idea? Actually, he did not think at all, simply leaping off without taking the time to judge the height of the table. No wonder his carrier was so mad at him.

With that in mind, Cepheus sniffled, and lowered his faceplate in shame.

He was never going to attempt flying ever again.

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><p>"I <em>told<em> you to stay on that damned table, and what do you do? Hop off and scribble all over the wall!" Starscream pointed furiously at the aforementioned table, and huffed soundly through his vents. When the sparkling only cowered further, and whimpered fearfully in response to his words, his temper flared worse, prompted by the frustration that he, for some reasons, just _could not_ seem to get through to his own creation. He advanced another step, and thoughtlessly pushed aside the tentative probing from the Seekerlet through their creator-sparkling bond. He was half a klik away from demanding that the trembling, terrified ball of quivering wing-nubs listen up and stop being pathetic when the door to his study slid open, and Megatron strode in.

Megatron did not speak a word. He only paused to take a quick sweep of the situation, and immediately went to Cepheus's side. Kneeling down, he carefully plucked up the sparkling pressed against the root of the wall, and gingerly cradled the frightened Seekerlet against his chassis. Cepheus, much to Starscream's stark annoyance, instantly started to bawl, and made a spectacle of grappling onto the thick, dense plating of his sire creator.

Megatron still had not spoken, opting to gently rub Cepheus between the wing-nubs. He cast a glance at the now somewhat ruined drawing on the wall, and sent Starscream a slight frown. Starscream's wing joints instantly stiffened. He did not need the bond to tell him what his mate was thinking at the moment. "Was this necessary?" was plastered all over the slight furrow of Megatron's brow ridges, and the Seeker bristled, fingertips digging into the palms of his hands and jaw joints tensing rigid.

"It did this on purpose." Starscream hissed, voice uncharacteristically low and hushed. "It did this in a cheap attempt to get my attention."

"Can you blame him?" Megatron replied evenly, a deep, murmuring rumble that mismatched with his reputation as a violent, merciless tyrant. "You are his carrier creator, yet you seem to want nothing to do with him. He's just a sparkling. He doesn't know what else to do."

Starscream's expression immediately became ugly, a stormy snarl harshening the pretty features of his faceplate.

"That's no excuse! It should've known better than to purposefully antagonize me to gain my favour!" A particularly sharp glint entered his red optics then, augmenting the edge in his glare. "Besides, I gave it very clear instructions to not draw all over the furniture. I fail to see why I should give it pardon when it's doing all it can to anger me!"

For a long moment, Megatron only stared back, the frown never lessening in its magnitude. He slowly stood up, and let out a deep sigh that made Cepheus's wing-nubs flutter.

"He doesn't understand you, Starscream," The tyrant finally spoke after a lengthy silence, sounding every bit as exasperated as his scowling expression. "He hasn't received his language upgrades yet."

Starscream's optics became slits, and his fists trembled down by his sides.

"…This is so like you, disputing everything I say." The Seeker bit out, and his wings jerked up higher on his back. "Fine, then! If you're so keen on being the better creator, why don't you watch it and clean up after its mess!" With a guttural exclamation of irritation and disgust, he made for the door in rapid stomps, energy field turbulent and heated. Pausing right in front of the now opened door way, he glanced one last time at the smudges of colours on the wall, and made an exceptionally revolted face.

"By the time I get back, that ugly scribble had better be gone, Megatron!" With a shrill shout announcing his departure, Starscream turned sharply on his thrusters, and stomped out of the door.

He ignored the sinking feeling in his spark telling him that perhaps he had missed something important in the colourful scribble, and walked down the hall without a single glance back.

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> I really have no excuse for how late this update is other than the same old "school ate me whole". Sorry about the wait. I'll try my best to be more diligent now that I'm done with my exams.

Thank you so much for all your support, and especially big hugs to my reviewers: _Devlinn Reiko, Eikuu Hyo, fan girl 666, the-spoon-of-doom, Fire Rage7, Mizz Arcee, Ebony Kain, Crazygrrl XD, Zetsuki, CrazyNutSquirrel, and Httw_. It means a lot to receive your comments and support. :)

This story will be separated by segments with unifying themes. Some segments will be longer. Some will be shorter. "Cry" will be in two parts.

Anyways, please let me know what you think of this chapter. I was trying to make it humorous, but I think it ended up being more on the sad side. That's drama, I suppose, haha! XD

A review would be all kinds of lovely, and much appreciated. Thanks for reading!


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